Human capital at forefront in all of Ethiopia’s dev’t agenda: MInT Minister
Addis Ababa, October 2, 2023 (FBC) – Ethiopia has given the highest priority to human capital development in all of its development agenda as it is pivotal to transform the national economy, Minister of Technology and Innovation, Belete Molla said.
The 2nd Edition of the Human Capital Development Conference in Africa: Ethiopian Edition has kicked off today at in Addis Ababa.
The conference offers a diverse range of sessions and workshops that delve into various aspects of the future of jobs, employability, and skills development in Ethiopia.
The event fosters essential discussions, yielding valuable insights into the development of youth skills for future employment.
Opening the Conference, Belete highlighted the pivotal role of human capital development in Ethiopia’s economic transformation.
Skills development is integral to Ethiopia’s economic growth, poverty reduction, and sustainable development agendas, the minister indicated.
Ethiopia stands at the crossroads of immense potential and challenges.
The country’s ambitious growth plans including the ten year perspective development plan and the homegrown economic reform agenda have placed human capital development at the forefront of their agenda, he added.
The minister emphasized the need to invest in skills development to cultivate a workforce capable of thriving in the global economy.
He stressed the need for collaboration between the private and public sectors as well as civil societies for the successful implementation of skill development programs.
Emphasizing the importance of embracing apprenticeships and on-the-job training as vital components of the strategy to enhance skills and productivity he said.
Ethiopia faces a pressing challenge, such as unemployment and rate of paid for persons he said, adding this challenge is exacerbated by discrimination, job insecurity and skill gaps.
To address this, the government, the private sector, and civil societies must collaborate to create an enabling environment for job creation, encouraging investment in all the youth, he stressed.
Despite these challenges, Ethiopia on some snaps on this threshold of great opportunities for human capital development by investing in skills, fostering collaboration among stakeholders in creating a demand responsive ecosystem, according to Belete.
The private sector as the engine of economic expansion, and job creation shoulders a significant responsibility he said, adding “it must play a role in skill development initiatives, including employee training, and others for career advancement.”
State Minister of Labor and Skills, Teshale Berecha on his part underscored the significance of collaboration in building a demand-driven and self-sustaining skill ecosystem.
The government of Ethiopia is facilitating job opportunities for citizens who wish to be employed in foreign countries across the globe by creating modern system, providing education and trainings, he stated.
In this regard, the state minister said works are underway to produce skilled and competent human resources as per the market demands in foreign countries.
“By working together, we can create a skill development ecosystem that empowers Ethiopians to reach their full potential and contributes to inclusive, sustainable growth for the nation,” he indicated.
Moreover, he elaborated that the conference as an important opportunity to shape collaborative solutions.
Programme Manager of Ethio-Germany Sustainable Training and Education Programme, Lars Fiechel for his part emphasized the vital role of the private sector as an engine of economic progress.
He pointed out that skilled workers are indispensable for driving this progress, which is why establishing quality and innovative systems for skill development has been at the forefront of Ethio-German Development Cooperation for nearly six decades.
Moreover, he sated Germany’s commitment to catalyzing sustainable change through collaborative initiatives and projects, believing that by sharing experiences and best practices, they can collectively pave the way for Ethiopia’s prosperous future.
The two day conference, organized under the theme ‘Towards building self-sustaining Ecosystem: Future of Jobs, Skills, Development and Employability in Ethiopia,’ aims at catalyzing Africa’s human capital development through skills development and job creation.
ENA reported that the Ministry of Labor and Skills organized the conference in collaboration with GIZ, ATD-Ethiopia and The I-Capital Africa Institute.